Endesa, chosen to develop 3 new “climate projects” because of the reduction in emissions

• Climate Projects are a Spanish administration instrument created to redirect Spanish economic activity towards low carbon models and thereby contribute to Spanish goals for reduction of GHG emissions in diffuse sectors.
• The major novelty from this edition in the projects presented by Endesa is the so-called Sustainable Construction Site Plan, which entails various actions implemented during the construction of new projects and that seek shared value between the company and community.
• The other two projects selected are framed within the Sustainable Mobility Programme; specifically, the Electrical Mobility Plan for employees and Electrical Mobility Plan by means of Car Sharing, already covered by the Climate Projects since 2016.
• The 3 initiatives chosen as “Climate Projects” will entail a reduction of more than 800 tonnes of CO2 a year.

Endesa has been selected for the third year running by the Spanish Office for Climate Change to carry out three new “Climate Projects” for the 2018 call. The projects selected fall within electrical mobility and the company’s model for sustainable construction. These projects were chosen by the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition by means of the Carbon Fund for a Sustainable Economy (FES-CO2). All the projects aim to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) effect emissions with the principal aim of framing a path towards transformation of the Spanish productive system towards a low carbon model.

The projects presented by Endesa within the scope of mobility consist of continuing with the Sustainable Mobility Programme, which includes activities associated with the Electrical Mobility Plan for employees and this year also includes the Electrical Mobility Plan by means of Car Sharing. In all cases, the aim is to replace kilometres travelled with a traditional fossil fuel vehicle with an electrical vehicle and therefore save on the emission of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

The Electrical Mobility Plan for employees, thanks to which 7.5% of staff decide each day to drive through Spain’s cities and roads with zero emissions. The aim is that by 2020, the number of employees who have formed part of the Electrical Mobility Plan for their personal travel will stand at 10%.  In the four editions of the mobility plan, associated vehicles have already travelled more than 10 million kilometres. 

The company has also offered its employees and the general public facilities to purchase a domestic charging point by means of the Integral Electric Vehíicle Solution  that enables its installation, maintenance, guarantee and financing.

The Mobility Plan for Employees has been associated since its onset with the installation of charging infrastructure in the most important company headquarters for possible emergencies that could arise for employees (461 charging points in six work sites). At the corporate work site of Madrid, Zaragoza and Seville there is also an exclusive electric vehicle car park with access to semi-fast chargers. There is also a fast charging point valid for any model of vehicle with which the employee can charge 80% of battery in under 20 minutes.

The Electrical Mobility Plan by means of Car Sharing aims to promote a modal change in the use of transport by employees and encourage use of electric vehicles to replace taxis for their work travel with the consequent reduction in emissions entailed. The service consists of a pool of electric vehicles made available to employees so that they can perform their work in a sustainable and non-contaminating manner. Employees can access an on-line tool to book vehicles for hourly slots or even entire days.  This service is currently available at seven work centres and has 23 BMW i3s with a range of around 130 km, in the case of the first models in service, and 300 km for new vehicles purchased in 2017. The plan is to increase the fleet and roll out the service to other work centres in 2019. The outcome over these initial years since the service was launched has been extremely positive with more than 1500 users registered to date, almost 9000 services performed and more than 281,000 km travelled, which is equivalent to an emissions saving of more than 20 tonnes of CO2. Among the aims sought it is expected to attain a ratio of 100,000 km and 150,000 km a year in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

The major novelty of Endesa in the climate projects presented and accepted by the Spanish Office for Climate Change this year is the so-called Sustainable Construction Site Plan, that covers various actions that Endesa is implementing in the construction of new projects and framed within CSV (Creating Shared Value) plans, an approach that the ENEL group carries out in all countries as part of its business strategy and under which it seeks the “shared” value between company and community. The most important aim in this model is to integrate sustainability in construction sites and simultaneously meet the “needs” of construction activities and the actual reality of the land.

Sustainable Construction Site Plan actions consist, for example, of installing isolated, photovoltaic equipment to replace electrogenic groups for electrical consumption of camps during the construction phase of Endesa projects. Once completed, this equipment will be donated to the local population for public use. This measure is currently implemented in general in the 25 parks under construction and it is foreseen to incorporate it into the projects that Endesa will implement in future.

Moreover, the use of electrical vehicles by engineering teams responsible for construction of parks is in place in four locations. This is a pilot project as it is the first time Spain has implemented this measure for the entire ENEL group.

With these activities falling within climate projects, both those that extend the path marked out in previous years, and novelties for this 2018 call, the reduction of more than 800 tonnes of CO2 a year is estimated; but they especially reflect integration of sustainability into the daily management of the electrical business of Endesa, which sets itself new challenges and aims each year.

What are climate projects?

Climate projects are a financing instrument created by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment, today under the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and coordinated by the Spanish Office for Climate Change. This financing is earmarked to mobilise resources and eliminate barriers, thereby providing an incentive for investment in projects susceptible of reducing GHG emissions by means of the purchase of each tonne of reduced and verified equivalent CO2 over 4 years. Its aim is therefore to redirect Spanish economic activity towards low carbon models.

They are characterised by being carried out in Spain and therefore seek to reduce emissions within so-called “diffuse sectors”, which are those not subject to a European emission rights trade regimen (transport, agriculture, residential, waste sectors, etc). The reduction in emissions attained should comply with a series of requisites established by the Carbon Fund for a Sustainable Economy (FES-CO2). This basically consists of a company proposing a project that will reduce CO2 emissions to the Spanish Office for Climate Change. This is evaluated and if accepted, there is an undertaking to buy saved CO2 emissions at a set price.